Release waves are gone. Your update planning still needs a calendar.
Microsoft has dropped the twice-yearly release waves for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. Plans now go onto the AI at Work roadmap whenever they're ready. We implement Dynamics 365 and keep watching that roadmap for the apps you actually use.
Microsoft Dynamics 365Microsoft Power PlatformMicrosoft Entra IDMicrosoft Fabric
in short·15-second read
Cohash implements and supports Microsoft Dynamics 365 on Dataverse and Power Platform, including Sales, Customer Service, Finance and Business Central.
Microsoft retired the wave 1 and wave 2 release model from September 2026, and Release Planner itself retires by 15 November 2026. So we watch the AI at Work roadmap for the apps you use and turn each update into a test plan.
you probably need this if
Your update plan still runs on release wave 1 and wave 2 dates, and those waves are gone.
Someone on your team still checks Release Planner, and it retires in November 2026.
Somebody assigns Dynamics security roles one person at a time instead of using Entra ID groups.
terms on this pageDataversedefinitionThe full Power Platform database. You get auditing, API access, model-driven apps and the rest, but it eats into your paid storage and needs Power Platform licences.explained in a field note →WavedefinitionOne batch of workloads moved together. Large migrations run as a series of these, so each one can be planned, cut over and reviewed on its own.explained in a field note →
Dynamics 365 CE functional consultantDynamics 365 CE developer (plug-ins, PCF)Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations developer (X++)
Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Customer Service Functional Consultant Associate
Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365: Finance and Operations Apps Developer Associate
From the first call to a setup your own team can run.
Here's what usually prompts a call about your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Services, what we do about it and in which order, and where you end up.
01 · where it hurts02 · what we change03 · how it runs04 · where you end up
incident board · microsoft dynamics 365 services3 open
openYour update plan still runs on release wave 1 and wave 2 dates, and those waves are gone.
recurringSomeone on your team still checks Release Planner, and it retires in November 2026.
blockedSomebody assigns Dynamics security roles one person at a time instead of using Entra ID groups.
exposure
Customer engagement appsFinance and operations appsUpdate planning without release…Dataverse security and Entra IDIntegration and data exportCopilot and agent readiness
startrehearsehandover
Discovery
Design
Build and test
Run
we are here
ready to hand over
Tests now follow Microsoft's monthly publishing rhythm, and nothing hangs on Release…
Dynamics access follows Entra ID group membership.
Copilot only shows each seller what they could already open, since we fixed their access…
Solution design and environment strategy
chapter 01 · where it hurts
Why teams reach out
Your update plan still runs on release wave 1 and wave 2 dates, and those waves are gone.
Someone on your team still checks Release Planner, and it retires in November 2026.
Somebody assigns Dynamics security roles one person at a time instead of using Entra ID groups.
chapter 02 · what we change
How we solve it
Customer engagement apps
Finance and operations apps
Update planning without release waves
Dataverse security and Entra ID
Integration and data export
Copilot and agent readiness
chapter 03 · how it runs
Our approach
Discovery
Design
Build and test
Run
chapter 04 · where you end up
What changes
Tests now follow Microsoft's monthly publishing rhythm, and nothing hangs on Release Planner anymore.
Dynamics access follows Entra ID group membership.
Copilot only shows each seller what they could already open, since we fixed their access first.
Solution design and environment strategy
what we do
Where we spend the hours
6 areas of work, each one done by an engineer who has run it in production.
Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service on Dataverse, using model-driven apps and business process flows. Plug-ins only when nothing simpler will do.
We configure Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management, build the integrations and migrate the data. The timing is planned around your fiscal close.
We keep an eye on the AI at Work roadmap and Message Center for the apps you actually run. When something's coming, we try it early in a sandbox before it gets near production.
We tie business units, security roles and teams to Entra ID groups, so a directory change shows up in Dynamics without anyone touching it.
We connect apps using dual-write, virtual tables or APIs, and for reporting we land Dataverse data in Fabric or Snowflake.
We check what data Copilot features and agents can reach before anyone switches them on, based on the security roles they inherit.
capability 01 / 06in production
Customer engagement apps
Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service on Dataverse, using model-driven apps and business process flows. Plug-ins only when nothing simpler will do.
We configure Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management, build the integrations and migrate the data. The timing is planned around your fiscal close.
We keep an eye on the AI at Work roadmap and Message Center for the apps you actually run. When something's coming, we try it early in a sandbox before it gets near production.
We pieced these together from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Services situations that come up a lot. They're patterns. You won't find a specific client in them.
case file 01
Update testing still planned around release wave dates
composite · not a client story
Beforethe situation
The admins still plan Sales and Customer Service testing around wave 1 and wave 2, and they keep the feature list in Release Planner. Microsoft retired the waves from September 2026. Release Planner itself retires by 15 November 2026, so that list needs a new home.
What we dothe work
We track the AI at Work roadmap and Message Center instead, filtered to the apps you license. New items become test cases once a month. We run them in a sandbox, using early access where an app offers it, and record decisions in one log.
Afterwhere you end up
Tests now follow Microsoft's monthly publishing rhythm, and nothing hangs on Release Planner anymore.
case file 02
Around a thousand users, four business units, roles assigned by hand
composite · not a client story
Beforethe situation
A Dataverse environment has four business units and around a thousand users, every one assigned security roles by hand. Leavers hold roles until someone happens to notice. Two roles have been copied so many times nobody knows which is current.
What we dothe work
We consolidate roles into a short, documented set. Entra ID security groups get created per role and business unit and connected through Dataverse group teams. Direct user assignments come off once group-based access checks out with a pilot team.
Afterwhere you end up
Dynamics access follows Entra ID group membership. Leave the group and the roles go with it. The set is small enough to review every quarter.
case file 03
Copilot turned on in Sales before regional access was checked
composite · not a client story
Beforethe situation
Copilot features in Dynamics 365 Sales went live in production. Sellers can summarize opportunities and email threads. Nobody checked whether their security roles let them read other regions' records.
What we dothe work
For Copilot users we go through security roles, business units and field security profiles, and test with a persona from each region. Read access that's too broad gets corrected. You then choose which features stay on per environment, and compliance gets it in writing.
Afterwhere you end up
Copilot only shows each seller what they could already open, since we fixed their access first. Compliance keeps a written record of what's on and why.
How Dynamics 365 connects to Entra ID, Power Platform and your warehouse
Entra ID group membership decides the Dataverse security roles and teams, so a directory change reaches Dynamics 365. The customer engagement and finance apps share data over dual-write. For reporting, Dataverse data lands in Fabric or Snowflake.
how it runs
A typical engagement
We don't start a step until the last one has produced something you can check.
step 01
Discovery
We list the apps, customizations, integrations and licenses, and write down which processes each one supports.
step 02
Design
Solution design, security model and data migration plan agreed with business owners and IT.
step 03
Build and test
We build managed solutions in development environments and move them through pipelines. Testing runs against real scenarios.
step 04
Run
Go-live, then a recurring update review so roadmap changes become a known list of tests.
you keep
What you're left with
We write these for your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Services setup, and they're working documents. Your team should be able to keep things running from them long after we've gone.
design01
Solution design and environment strategy
yours to keep
design02
Security role model mapped to Entra ID groups
yours to keep
inventory03
Data migration mapping and reconciliation
yours to keep
plan04
Update review checklist, tied to the AI at Work roadmap
talent and delivery · microsoft dynamics 365 services
Certified engineers, wherever you need them.
Some clients want a project team, some want a couple of engineers on theirs. Either works. Onsite, nearshore or offshore, with handovers across time zones that keep things moving.
Onsite
Engineers at your sites in the US
Nearshore
Overlapping hours with US teams
Offshore
Overnight progress on your backlog
All time zones
Coverage handed over across time zones
24-hour coverage · US Central time
OnsiteUS business hours
Nearshoreoverlapping US hours
Offshoreovernight progress
Combinedhandover, not hand-off
00:0006:0012:0018:0000:00
certifications our engineers hold
Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Customer Service Functional Consultant AssociateMicrosoft
Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365: Finance and Operations Apps Developer AssociateMicrosoft
Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer AssociateMicrosoft
roles we staff
Dynamics 365 CE functional consultant
Dynamics 365 CE developer (plug-ins, PCF)
Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations developer (X++)
Dataverse integration developer
Dynamics 365 solution architect
Power Platform developer
due diligence · microsoft dynamics 365 services
Questions to ask any partner, including us.
Put these to anyone bidding on your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Services work. The ones who've done it answer differently from the ones who've read about it.
Q1
Where will you track Dynamics 365 changes now that release waves are retired?
Microsoft moved plans to the AI at Work roadmap from September 2026 and retires Release Planner by 15 November 2026. A partner still quoting wave dates hasn't caught up.
Q2
Will security roles be assigned through Entra ID groups or user by user?
Roles assigned straight to users stick around after people change jobs. Tie group teams to Entra ID security groups and Dynamics access gets handled like every other joiner, mover or leaver change.
Q3
How will you package customizations and move them between environments?
If someone edits production directly, you lose the trail and the clean way out. Managed solutions moved through pipelines keep versions and let you roll back.
Q4
What can Copilot and agents read under our current security model?
Copilot works inside each user's access. When that access is wider than anyone meant, Copilot just makes the over-shared records quicker to find and easier to exploit.
Q5
How will Dataverse data reach our warehouse, and what will it cost?
Link to Microsoft Fabric, Azure Synapse Link and direct APIs differ in latency, storage use and licensing. Pick one on purpose before reports start depending on it.
01Are Dynamics 365 release waves really gone?
Yes. Microsoft's Dynamics 365 blog says the twice-yearly release waves are going away, with plans published continuously instead. New plans stop showing up in Release Plans on Learn from September 2026, and the old ones stay there for reference. Release Planner itself retires by 15 November 2026. The AI at Work roadmap becomes the main source.
02Does that change how often updates reach our environment?
The roadmap change is about how Microsoft publishes plans. Update mechanics still differ by app, so check the per-app guidance Microsoft links from its release schedule page. We map that out for the apps you license.
03We also run Salesforce or SAP. Can you integrate Dynamics 365 with them?
Yes. We design which system owns each record and field, then build the sync through APIs, Azure integration services or middleware you already own.
04How long does a Dynamics 365 implementation take?
It depends on the apps in scope, the amount of data to migrate and the number of integrations. Finance projects also depend on when you can cut over without disrupting a close. We estimate after discovery.
05Another partner set up our Dynamics 365 environment. Can you take it over?
Yes. We go through solutions, plug-ins, security roles and integrations, list the unmanaged changes in production and agree what to fix first. Then a pipeline goes in, so the next change leaves a trail.
related
Often paired with
Projects on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Services usually end up touching one of these, so they're worth a look.
